Brittany-Guerande- La Baule-Site Home - What's New? -Feedback - About Jack- Travel/Art Links
Brittany
|
Brittany-Guerande- La Baule-Site Home - What's New? -Feedback - About Jack- Travel/Art Links |
|
|
|
Brittany |
|
Treguier, lawyers pilgrimage and Lannion Auray, StGoustan and the Quiberon peninsula Gulf of Morbihan, its fisher ports and more Guerande and salt, and La Baule, beautiful beach resort Nantes, visit of this elegant city, shopping,churches, museums(2). Brest - Douarnenez - Pointe du Raz
|
Brittany- Guerande and La Baule, beautiful beach resort |
|
|||
|
|
|||||
|
At the other side of the Baie du Morbihan is the famous GUERANDE peninsula. This is typical Brittany! A rocky west coast dotted with picturesque villages, the world famous resort of LA BAULE, the pretty port of LAROCHE BERNARD high above the river Vilaine (what a wrong name for this cute river!). The salty marshes of La Grande Brière are also unique. All these make a patchwork region where the men rake the gray SALT from the pans, while the woman skim off the white surface. Then the salt is piled in monochrome heaps at the edge of the marshes. We have now the famous SEL DE GUERANDE, label of quality.
And more surprising is thevillage of GUERANDE
itself, rising unpredictably from a flat terrain like a medieval mirage. It’s
one of the rare towns, which kept his ramparts intact. Punctuated by eight
towers and pierced by four gateways, you pass into the heart of the old town, a
maze of colorful streets, dead-end alleys, churches and squares. Make this walk:
from the Place du Marché aux Bois, via the rue Saint Michel to the rue St.
Aubin. A fascinating church, this St.Aubin church! Grotesque Roman carvings on
the Let’s head now to LA BAULE. , what the French call “la plus belle plage du monde”. Question of personal view. I have other I prefer but La Baule has certainly fine sand curves for 5 km, around a perfect bay, with watercolors looking like the Mediterranean. Expensive powerboats and white sails make the illusion complete. We are here really at the edge of Brittany, it is very disputed. Theoretically, it is in the Loire Atlantique, administered by the Loire region, but what the hell, I put it in Brittany. Meet Jack/travel, heir of Julius Mercator :-).
Like all of these mild climate resorts, it are the British who discovered these sands and pines 110 years ago and started the flashing development. Paris, who knew when the British moved in somewhere, success couldn’t miss, soon implanted all its great fashion boutiques, grand hotels and smart restaurants, the casino was created. A smart promenade was built in 1910 running the full length of the beach. Soon after becoming popular with Parisians and English alike. The wealthy built mini chateau style villas along the beach. Soon, the arrival of many more tourists changed its appearance once again with luxury flats, international hotels, racecourse, golf course, eventually and the arrival of two casinos. The town is full of smart boutiques, fine restaurants, outside bars and café’s. This stylish resort has a great holiday atmosphere. Today it is still recognized as an up market choice, but a bit degraded by the jeans, fast-food outlets (Macdo here we come!!), cola dispensers and ppinballmachines. Chanel withdrew, gastronomy isn’t what it used to be. Even the pine trees had to retreat from the seafront, replaced by money spinning modern hotels and apartments. You will find the pines, but move a few streets backwards! There is still LA-BAULE-LES-PINS, but it might soon be inappropriately named, expansion is so fast! Bibliography |
|||||
inside capitals, and a double flamboyant Gothic west door.